Asbestos

Table of Contents☰

About Asbestos

Asbestos is a generic term for a group of six silicate minerals with similar but distinct properties.
These are generally divided into two sub-groups; serpentine and amphiboles. Serpentine asbestos (chrysotile or white asbestos) was the most commonly used type of asbestos.
Properties:
- These are resistant to heat and corrosion.
- It is non-flammable even at very high temperatures and is extremely flexible and durable.
- It has good tensile strength.
- It has low heat conductivity and high resistance to electricity.
It was once widely used in construction materials, insulation and consumer goods.
India’s asbestos requirement is met through imports from Russia, Kazakhstan, Brazil and China.
The newly banned chrysotile asbestos in the USA was primarily used by the chlor-alkali industry, which produces chlorine bleach, caustic soda and other chemicals used in water treatment.
Health impacts:
- According to the World Health Organization, all varieties of asbestos are associated with conditions such as lung cancer, mesothelioma, laryngeal cancer, ovarian cancer and asbestosis, a lung fibrosis.
- If products containing asbestos are disturbed, tiny asbestos fibers are released into the air.
- When asbestos fibers are breathed in, they may get trapped in the lungs and remain there for a long time.

Q1) What is Corrosion?

It is wearing away due to chemical reactions, mainly oxidation.It occurs whenever a gas or liquid chemically attacks an exposed surface, often a metal, and is accelerated by warm temperatures and by acids and salts.

Source: United States bans white asbestos, last of its kind still in use